Insights and explainers for everyday caregiving decisions

Key signals

The main stages of child development from birth to age 2 are early infancy, later infancy, early toddlerhood, and the second year of life. Across these stages, babies and toddlers build skills in movement, communication, social interaction, learning, and feeding; CDC milestone tools and AAP age-and-stage guidance help parents track what most children can do by a given age and act early if concerns arise. | Use CDC developmental milestone resources to track development from early infancy and act early when something concerns you.

Key signals

Child development is the way children grow and gain skills across areas such as movement, communication, learning, play, and relationships. In the first years, tracking development matters because milestone patterns can help families notice progress, support everyday learning, and act early if they have concerns. | Track development from early infancy using CDC milestone resources designed to help families notice skills and act early when concerned.

Key signals

Child development centers support babies and toddlers by providing consistent caregiving routines, age-aware play, milestone observation, safe feeding practices, and communication with families. They do not replace pediatric care, but they can help parents notice patterns, ask better questions, and act early when development or feeding concerns arise. | Track development using milestone tools because CDC milestones describe skills most children can do by a given age.

Key signals

Parents should contact child development services as soon as they have a concern about a child’s development, behavior, movement, communication, social skills, or feeding-related skills. CDC milestone tools are designed to help families track development from early infancy and act early when something does not seem on track. | Act early when you have developmental concerns; the CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. resources help families track development and respond promptly.

Key signals

Child development psychology is the study of how children grow, learn, communicate, move, relate to others, and manage behavior over time. For parents of 12- to 36-month-olds, it helps explain behavior by connecting what a child does with developmental skills, age-based milestones, routines, and the need for support rather than assuming a child is simply “being difficult.” | Use developmental milestones to understand skills most children can do by a given age, according to the CDC.

Key signals

Parents can support early child development at home by turning daily routines into warm, responsive moments for talking, playing, moving, feeding, and resting. Use CDC milestone resources and AAP age-and-stage guidance to notice emerging skills, and contact a clinician early if your child is not meeting expected milestones or if you have concerns. | Use CDC milestone resources to track development from early infancy and act early when something concerns you.

Key signals

Parents can understand behavior and emotional development in a 5-year-old by comparing day-to-day patterns with trusted age-based developmental guidance, not by judging one difficult moment in isolation. The CDC explains that developmental milestones describe skills most children can do by a given age, and its “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” resources help families track development and act early when they are concerned. | Use age-based developmental milestones to understand skills most children can do by a given age, according to the CDC.

Key signals

Developmental disabilities are long-term concerns in how a child develops skills such as moving, learning, communicating, playing, or interacting with others. Parents should ask for help as soon as they are worried, especially if their baby or toddler is not doing skills that most children can do by that age, because the CDC emphasizes tracking milestones and acting early when concerns arise. | Track development from early infancy using CDC milestone resources, which are designed to help families notice progress and act early when concerned.